Access All AreasTechnology in meetings and events can be very powerful tools, said London & Partners and CWT Meetings & Events in their new research, ahead of IBTM World in Barcelona next week.
The official convention bureau for London revealed that 70 per cent of event professionals believe that new technologies, such as sensory technology, will make events and meetings more interactive and engaging.
Despite this, over half of the 650 respondents said that new technologies are not being used to their full potential, while three quarters (77 per cent) agreed more could be done to integrate sensory technology – devices to stimulate the senses of sight, sound, taste, smell and touch – into their projects.
Tracy Halliwell MBE, director of Business Tourism and Major Events at London & Partners, said: “Meetings and events are a crucial part of any organisation’s strategy and if industry professionals are to create truly unforgettable events they need to harness the power of new technologies.
“Tech integration does not have to be expensive and can be easily incorporated into meetings. New sensory technologies in particular can be very powerful tools that deliver tangible results and bring a brand new dimension to traditional meetings or events.”
The research also suggested that money appears to be a key reason why event professionals do not feature more sensory technologies with more than half of respondents saying event technology is too expensive.
Thierry Duguet, CWT Meetings & Events, global marketing director added: “With the advancements in technology, we will continue to see lower cost multi-sensory experiences being created. This includes the use of social media to engage with event attendees before, during and after an event – for example, a tweet wall where people can engage with event speakers in real-time.
“The value of sensory experiences is unlimited. If attendees have a lasting memory of your event, it leads to much better brand recognition. In a world where people are bombarded with 5,000 media messages every day and probably forget 90 per cent of them – it’s still worth recognizing the power of events which can stay with us for a lifetime.”